Hotel Management Degrees: Masters & Online Course Info

What will you learn in a hotel management graduate program? Read about requirements for master's degrees, pros and cons, online courses and potential career options.

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Study Hotel Management: Master's Degrees and Online Course Info

Hotel management professionals might manage a hotel, club, spa, casino or resort. You could also work at corporate headquarters in areas like marketing, finance, food and guest services, real estate or accounting. General managers might supervise an entire facility or a specific department. Convention services managers coordinate special events and meetings. As a front-office manager, you would deal with guests directly to ensure their stay is satisfying and any problems are solved. Your training could also help you start your own hotel-related business.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for lodging managers will grow only eight percent from 2010-2020, while careers involving planning conventions and events may grow 44%, which is much faster than average.

Master's Degrees in Hotel Management

Schools may offer master's degrees in hotel management through departments of hospitality and tourism or through joint MBA and hotel management programs. In addition to a bachelor's degree, master's degree candidates often have several years of industry experience. Depending on your background, you might begin your career at a smaller company or property while gaining the experience you'll need to work at a flagship property of a large company.

The program will teach you about strategic management, financial accounting and finance. Students will also learn about food service, hospitality marketing, revenue management, operations analysis, real estate investment or property management.

Pros and Cons of a Master's in Hotel Management

Pros

Work anywhere in the world with travel opportunities

May help you accelerate your career at prominent companies and properties

Entrepreneurial options like bed-and-breakfasts

Cons

Career may require unconventional hours

Job may be stressful at times

More experienced candidates with bachelor's degrees may be competing with you for jobs

Source: *PayScale.com (May 2012 data)

Courses and Requirements

Core courses may be similar to those in an MBA program, with a hotel management emphasis. These might include finance and accounting, food and beverage management, human resources, property management and marketing. Students might complete internships or capstone projects over the course of the 2-year program.

Depending on your specialty, you might also take courses in:

Facility planning and design

Franchising

Hospitality pricing and analysis

Hospitality entrepreneurship

Online Course Information

Online master's degree programs in hotel management are available to students who are already working in the field and cannot attend classes on-campus. Students will learn through instructor lectures that can be viewed online. A course management system will allow students to submit assignments and communicate with professors.

Getting Ahead with this Degree

International internship or co-op experience and multilingual skills may be beneficial with some employers. Membership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), student clubs or other affinity organizations may help you make contacts. You might also choose to participate with travel and tourism organizations, journals or research initiatives. Combining your hotel management master's degree with a MBA or a certificate program could enhance your marketability.

Online Post-Baccalaureate Courses and Training in Hotel Management

Proprietary schools, community colleges, 4-year universities and professional associations offer virtual training at the post-baccalaureate level. Online courses, certificates and degree programs are available through AHLA, community colleges and regionally-accredited traditional universities. These programs are geared toward students who want specialized training in a certain area and who do not have the time or money to commit to a master's degree program.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Appropriate for students who want to build skills in targeted areas

May meet needs of hotel professionals with unusual schedules or who are working in remote resorts where on-campus options are not available

Will not interfere with employment obligations

Could give you training opportunities required and supported by your company

Cons

Some prior background required; not intended for beginners

Don't provide well-rounded background that would make students competitive with master's degree graduates

Costs may need to be weighed against relative necessity of program

Common Course Topics

Students will take courses in specific areas related to hospitality management. These may include technical courses that could improve your skills in specific disciplines. Topics might include:

Convention management

Hotel and restaurant accounting

Training and development for the hospitality industry

Front-office operations

Online Course Options

Online courses are available through proprietary schools, community colleges, 4-year universities and professional associations. American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) courses are available in front office, food and beverage, housekeeping, maintenance, security, human resources, and sales for hotel management employment levels, including executive, department head, management, supervisory, line level and specialty personnel.

How to Get Ahead

Your company may want you to earn specific training before promoting you. If you pursue coursework independently, your motivation and ambition may be noticed by management. You can remain current and deepen your knowledge in your field of expertise, or start to move into an area that interests you; this could make your more valuable to your current or future employer.